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THE HUGUENOTS 



On the Hackensack. 



By D. D. D 



EMAREST. 







THE HUGUENOTS 

On the Hackensack. 



A Paper read before the Huguenot Society of America in the 
French Church du Saint-Esprit, New York, April 13, 1885; 
before the New Jersey Historical Society, at Trenton, 
January 26, 1886 ; before the New Brunswick His- 
torical Club, February 18, 1886, and in the 
North Eeforjied Church, of Schraalen- 
BERG, N. J., February 19, 1886. 



-BY- 



Rev. David D. Demarest, D. D., 



Professor in the Theological Seminary, 



New Brunswick, N. J, 




NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. : 
The Daily Fredonian Steam Peintixg House. 

1886. 



The Huguenots 

On the Hackensack. 



The paper which I propose to read to you this evening will 

• chiefly comprise matters so purely local, that I can scarcely hope to 

-secure the interest of this national society. The actors were men 
who were not great in -either Church or State. Much will neces- 

■sarily be said about my own ancestor whose name I bear, and per- 
haps some may consider my narrative more appropriate to a family 

'^reunion, than to an annual meeting of the "Huguenot Society of 
An:ierica." 

But havingbecn assured that the members of this Society will be 

rglad'to hear about the fortunes of any one, even of the smallest and 
least of the Huguenot colonies in America, I am here to tell you 
what I know about the Huguenots on the Hackensack, in the 
Province of New Jersey. 

The fact that there ever was a colony of Huguenots on the Hack- 

^v-ensack is probabl}^ known by very few people, and these few are 

-doubtless indebted for most of their knowledge about it to the ad- 
mirable history of Harlem, by Mr. James Riker. I gratefully ac- 
knowledge my obligations to Mr. Riker for a knowledge of many 

lifacts which lie has, by his faithful and patient investigations, brought 

■to light. On page 392, of his book, is a very valuable foot note on 
this colon}', containing statements which I have verified by original 

■'documents, and to which I have been enabled to add somewhat.* 
This little settlement was, so far as I know, the only one looking 

Tto organization and permanency that was made by Huguenots iu 
the province of New Jersey, though individual families did locate 
■here and there, and a little cluster of them settled in the neighbor- 

Jhood of Princeton. The colony was composed of very few fami- 
lies at the beginning, and the number was never increased to any 

;.great extent bj accessions from without. Very little is to-day 
^known about its origin and history, even in the immediate vicinity 

-of the original settlement, so thoroughly have all traditions about 
it died out. The French element was so speedily absorbed by the 

"Surrounding Dutch, that not a few of the numerous descendants of 
the Huguenot pioneers, from whom the farms they occupy have 

*Harlem, its origin and early annals by James Eiker, New York, 18S1. In the note referred 
••"■t®, aie two mistakes; first, for Essa we should read Essex, (County of Essex); and for 
("Peiret, we should read Daille . 



\ 



4 THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 

come down in unbroken descent through seven or eight geners'-- 
tions, verily believe that they are of pure Holland stock, an (J 
the story of their French origin is to them a new revelation. 

To gather up what may be found of the true and almost romantic- 
history of this little company of 200 years ago, has been with me a 
labor of love, and a work of absorbing interest. But little would 
I have found if the men of that day had not kept public records i)% 
Church and State, with some measure of care, and if my only re- 
source had been the materials preserved by a pious reverence for- 
ancestry. 

It IS even necessary that I should define the geographical posi- 
tion of this colony. Where was it situated ? You may have oc- 
casion at some time to travel on the New Jersey and New York, 
railway which connects Jersey City and Stony Point on the Hud- 
son, running through the valley of the Hackeiisack, in Northerns 
New Jersey, and in Eockland county. New York. Twelve miles- 
from Jersey City, on the line of this road, is the ancient and 
beautiful village of Hackensack. About two miles North of this 
village is the Cherry Hill station, near to which is a bridge cross- 
ing the Hackensack known as the New Bridge, [f] to distinguish 
it from the Old Bridge which crosses the stream a little more than< 
a mile to the north, at River Edge station. If after leaving Cherry 
Hill station you look out of your car window, eastward across the 
river, you will soon see on an eminence, a few rods from the shore^ 
the white marble head-stones that indicate a burial place of the- 
dead. This is what is known in the neighborhood as the old 
French burial ground, confessedly, one of the oldest ceraeterieSj,, 
if not the oldest in that region of country. 

How often have I passed this spot in my boyhood, my home be- 
ing about three miles to the north of it, and it being quite near to- 
the highway leading to Hackensack, the county seat. And yet, to- 
my shame be it said, I did not know until long after I had reached: 
manhood, why this was called the French burial ground. No one 
told me the reason, and I had not curiosity enough to enquire. I 
had a vague notion that either some Frenchman of note had a 
long time ago been buried there, or that such an one had lived iii 
the neighborhood and given or sold the land for this place of 
burial. I am, furthermore, ashamed to say that I never entered it 
until about two years ago. And yet there lies the dust of the- 
principal pioneer Huguenot settlers of that vicinity, and among- 
them of my own ancestors. Not a few of the descendants of the- 
men and women who have been there buried, doubtless pass every 
day in sight of this cemetery, ignorant of the fact that their 
French ancestors lie there, ignorant even of the fact that they had 
French ancestors. 

Our surprise at this will, however, be diminished when we 
consider that these people brought a knowledge of the Dutch lan- 
guage as well as of their native French with them from Europe ;;, 



*There was no bridge at this spot until about the time of the Revolutionary War.. 



I THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACl^ENSACK. 5 

\ \ 

•ti|at being thrown among the Dutch they were compelled to use 
t|ieir language everywhere, except in their own families ; that in 
tfe^ eiirly generations already the Dutch superseded the French in 
•the^^Huguonot families also, and kept its place from generation to 
,genera:i:4<ni until it was in turn pushed out by the English, though 
to this da}\retaining a slight foothold in some households in Ber- 
gen and adjacent counties. It is, therefore, not so strange after 
.all, that the descendants of the Huguenots should be reckoned by 
others, and belbved by themselves to be Dutch, and should even 
:take pride in tl^ir Dutch descent. 

I^ow it was m the neighborhood of this cemetery that David 
'des Marest with his wife, his two sons, Jean and David, with their 
wives and children, a third unmarried son Samuel, and Jaques 
La Rou settled in the, Spring of 1678, and where they were soon 
;after joined by Nichokis de V^eaux, Jean du Rij, (Durie,) Daniel du 
Voor, Andries Tiebout,. Daniel Eibou and others. Who then was 
this David des Marest, [*] the leader and chief spirit of this 
'Colony, and how did he happen to locate in this spot? He was a 
native of Beauchamp, a bttle village of Picardy, in France, about 
22 miles West of the City of Amiens. He was born about the 
year 1620. The family of d^s Marest was very numerous in that 
part of France, and highly respectable. David des Marest, Sieur 
le Feret, whose seat Avas at Oisemont, held many high offices in the 
-State, and he was moreover aninfluentialElderin the French Prot- 
estant Church. His son, Samuel, known in the theological world 
gP Maresius, his name being Latinized after the custom of the times, 
Jvas Professor of Theology, at Groningen, and a voluminous, con- 
troversial writer. His sons, Daniel and Henri, were preachers, and 
with the aid of their father, prepared what has been pronounced 
■the finest edition of the French Bible that has ever been published. 
How closely the David des Marest, w^ho came to this country, was 
-allied to them is not known. His father's name was Jean, a Prot- 
estant Christian, who, with his family ,. -'had left his dear native 
France, like many others, on account of the troubles of the present 
and the uncertainties of the future, to-|ind peace, and freedom of 
worship among their Dutch neighbors who gave to all such a 
hearty welcome and secure home. Pie settled at Middleburg, on 
the Island of Walcheren Zeeland, at what time we are unable to 
.say. Tiie marriage of his son David and Marie Sohier, daughter 
■of Francois Sohier, from Nieppe, a town of Hainault, 13 miles 
1 East from Hazebrook, took place, as the records of the Walloon 
]| Church at Middleburg inform us, July 24th, 1613. The des Marest 
and Sohier families had probably resided in that City for some 
time wdien the young people formed this matrimonial connection. 
Two sons were born to them in Middleburg — Jean, v/ho was bap- 
jdzed April 14th, 1645, and David, who was- baptized June 22nd, 
' 1649. The latter must have died in childhood, for the name David 
jl'was given to a third son who was born after the removal of the 
p)family from this City. 
A 

■'^'i *His descendants write the name variously as Demarest, Demorest, Demaree, Demaray, &c. 



\ 



6 THE HrGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 

In the year 1651, David des Marest had removed with his fat^ 
ily to Mannheim, on the Rhine, the chief City of the Lower Paia-- 
tinate. The French Protestants were at this time goin.s: from-v 
various parts in great numbers to this City, invited and er:.c6uraged' 
by the Elector, Charles Lewis, who ofiered great indnoements for ■ 
them to settle in his dominions. A French ProtestaTit Church was- 
there formed, the Elector himself providing the building. It was- 
called the " Temple of Concord," because Lutherans as well as- 
Calvinists were allowed to use it for public w^orship. Some of the- 
Huguenots, who afterw^ard came to New Paltz, were connected^; 
with this Church. At Mannheim two sons wei'e born to David des- 
Marest, David in 1652 and Samuel in 1656. , It is probable that 
another child was born in the same city, who'died in infancy short- 
ly after the arrival of the family in America, for there w^ere four 
children when the family landed in this country, the youngest of 
whom w^as one year old, and we know^ that of these, only the three- 
eldest, Jean, David and Samuel reached 'maturity. Another son^, 
Daniel w^as born in Harlem, IsT. Y., ai]/d baptized in the Dutch 
Church of New York, July 7th, 1666, .w.'.ao died as the result of an. 
accident when 5| years of age. 

But Mannheim was not to be. the permanent home of this fam- 
ily. The Catholic Princes were threatening the Palatinate with 
hostilities, and many of the Protestant refugees, well knowing the 
woes that would come upon tl^:em if the country should fall intc 
the hands of the deadly enem/ts of their faith, resolved to leave it/ 
Des Marest and some others ^letermined to emigrate to America. H 
was in the prime of life, b^^i'ng little more than forty years of age 
Pie felt that at least rest ffom persecution would be found in th( 
new w^orld, which also gaj^e a better promise than the old for th 
temporal future of his children and children's children in all thei 
generations. ,' 

Several of these families passed down the Rhine to Amsterdan: 
and sailed thence in the "iBontekoe," spotted or brindled cow, fc 
New Amsterdam, wdiich piej reached April 16th, 1663. 

Immediately on his arrival, David des Marest with his famil 
joined the Huguenot Colo'ny on Staten Island, a little South of tl 
Narrows. The high esteem in w^hich he was held by the people ' 
the island is evident from the fact that in the following year, 166- 
he was chosen as one of the two delegates from Staten Island 
the Provincial Assembly of New Netherland, w^iieh met to co 
sider the state of the Province just before its surrender to t" 
British. 

After a residence of two years on Staten Island, he boug 
property at New Harlem, and removed thither in the Autumn ' 
1665. He afterwards added several lots of land to his original pi 
chase, and Plarlem was his home during 12| years. 

Mr. Riker has related many of the incfdents of his life duri 
those years. He was one of the most prominent citizens of tl 
place, and was deemed worthy of the highest positions which t]' 
little community could give him, and seems to have been faith* 



/I / 

' / ■ 

THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 7 

^ to every trust. He sometimes bad difficulties witli liis neighbors, 
and we strongly suspect that be was a man of basty temper, not 
disposed to submit meekly to injustice, one who knew bis rigbts and 
was prepared to maintain tbem. But tbe grievance wbicb he seems 
to have taken most deeply to heart, which was " the last straw on 
the camel's back," and which confirmed him in tbe purpose already 
entertained to leave Harlem, was tbe outrageous act of assessing 
him for the pa3'ment of bis share toward the salary of Henry Jan- 

'. sen Vander Vin, the Dutch Voorleser, and for attempting to collect 
the money by process of law. On tbe 6tb of March, 1677, tbe 

' Mayor's Court of New York ordered that the Clerk should have 
his pay for his past services, and that he should be continued in 
office and be paid for his future services, and that if any of the 
inhabitants " should refuse to pay what is due from them for the 
time past and for tbe time to come, then the Constable is hereby 
ordered to levy the same by distress and sale of tbe goods for satis- 
faction of what is or shall hereafter become due to said Clerk." 

Claude Delamater and David des Marest, Sr., were tbe delin- 
quents in this matter,. and they were summoned before the Tovv^n 
Court. Delamater stubbornly refused to pay, defyingthe athorities, 

, and bis goods were levied on, but for some reason tbe matter was 

^ not prosecuted any further. Des Marest gave tbem to understand 
that be too would bold out, if he were to remain in tbe place, but 

I since he intended to remove he would pay what was demanded, 
which he accordingly did. 

But why should not Delamater and des Marest have been as- 
sessed for the salary of Hendrick JansenVander Vin, the Voorleser, 
and why should they not have paid their shares as well as their 
neighbors ? Tbe plea was (and you will mark the words,) " that they 
of the French coiigregationmihQ time of Gov. Francis Lovelace, hav- 
ing received a praacher, tbe aforesaid Governor had said that tbe 
French of the town of New Harlem should be free as to contribut- 
ing to tbe Dutch Voorleser." In tbe Autumn of 1676, des Marest 
was two years in arrears on this salary account. And thus we 
learn that there was a French congregation and a French preacher 
as early as 1674, or nine years before the Rev. Pierre Daille came to 
minister to the French in New Amsterdam. It also shows the 
attachment of these people to their mother Church and native 
tongue. The Dutch language was as familiar to tbem as the 
French, but not so dear, and they were ever ready to slip away 
from it.* 

This brings us to tbe purchase of a tract of land on the Hack- 
ensack river in Bergen County, New^ Jersey, and wbicb was known 
as the French patent. Des Marest proposed to establish on it a 
number of families of bis countr^mien and co-religionists from 
France, so that they might live in tbe secure enjoyment of their 
religious liberty, and at tbe same time promote their temporal w^el- 
fare. Having disposed of bis property in Harlem, he bought from 
the Tappan Indians a large tract of land lying between tbe Hack- 

*Eiker's Harlem. 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 



i; 

I 



ensack and Hudson rivers. The deed of conveyance bears date 
June 8, 1677. It was given by Mendawasey, Sachem of Tappan, 
Jan Claus, Seriockharn, llaharios and Kassamen who signed it 
for themselves, and for other Indians to the number of twehty-six, 
who are named in the instrument, to Sir George Carteret, Lord 
Proprietor of the Province of New Jersey on behalf of David des 
Marest, Sr , and his children on payment of the following articles : 

100 fathem of black wampen, 100 bars of lead, 100 fathem of 
white wampen, 100 knives, 15 fire lock guns, 1 barrel of powder, 
15 kettles, 4 barrels of beere, 20 blankets, one saw, 20 match coates, 
one acker of rum, 20 hatchets, one pistoll, 20 hows, one plaiae, 30 
pairs of stockings, one great knife, 20 shirts, one carpenter's ax. 

This land was conveyed " together with all the woods, under- 
woods, trees, marshes, meadows, pastures, vynes, minerals, creeks, 
rivers or rivulets, hawkings, huntings, fishing, and all other the 
commodities, benefits or improvements that are or shall [be] there- 
unto belonging and appertaining."* 

It is difficult to follow in every particular the description of 
this tract as given in the deed. The Western and Eastern boun- 
daries cannot be mistaken. The Western was the Hackensack 
river, the Eastern " a great mountain standing between a great 
swamp and Hudson's river," which must mean the Palisade range, 
there being no other mountain or hill of any size between these 
two rivers. The tract was bounded on the South by lands of 
Laurence Andricssen or Van Buskirk, and the dividing line was a 
brook called by the Indians Kessawakey, a little stream running 
into the Hackensa,ck at New Bridge, and which in documents of a 
later date is called French. Creek. This line running Eastward 
must have passed not far from Tenafly, and struck another stream 
running Northward called the Gessawacken [Tenakill] and which 
turning to the West emptied into the Hackensack, '' which two 
creeks," says the deed, " doe encompass the aforesaid tract of 
land." A few years later in 1683, when David des Marest 
petitioned the Governor's Council for the privilege of cutting tim- 
ber on the part of his Indian purchase which had not been 
patented to him by the proprietors, he represented the tract as two 
miles in breadth, coming to a point, and six miles in length, whicl: 
must mean six miles following the river Northward from the mouti 
of the creek at New Bridge.f On Ratzer's map of New Jersey- 
made at the time of the final settlement of the boundary lin( 
between New York and New Jersey, this part of the Hackensacl 
is called Des Marest's Kill.^ The number of acres in the tract i 
not stated, but there must have been several thousand. 

About one-half of this tract must have fallen within the pre. 
vince of New York, when, shortly after, the boundary line was ru; 
between New York and New Jersey. The boundary between thes 

*For copies of this deed and some other papers I am indebted to the courtesy of C. B. Ha: 
Tey, Esq., of Jersey City. 

Journal of proceedings of Governor and Council of E. New Jersey, Jersey City, 1872. 
^Smith's History of New Jersey. 



THE HUGUENOTS OK THE HACKENSAo'k. 9 

•*ytwo provinces was not pcnnanentlv fixed nntil the year 17G9, but 
^l^'arious lines were run at dilfercnt times, causing considerable con- 
tusion in the way of collecting taxes and administering justice.* 
I.Jean des Marest and liis brother Samuel and nephew JDavid, in 
1704, petitioned Lord Cornbur}- for an order for a survey of that 
Northern portion of the Indian purchase which had fallen to New 
York by the boundary, which, they said, had been recently made, 
so that it might be secured to them by patent, and the}' claimed 
that it embraced about three thousand acres. Against the grant- 
ing of this petition Capt. John Berry presented a remonstrance, 
claiming that he had a right to two thousand acres of that Indian 
purchase, that he had waived his claim on condition that des 
Marest should bring thirty or fort}" families from Europe to occupy 
the lands, that the condition had not been fultilled, and that he was 
therefore entitled to two thousand acres of the tract which was 
claimed by the petitioners. 

The petition and remonstrance were both laid on the table, 
and whether subsequent action was taken by the Council, I liave 
have not been able to learn. f 

The Indian deed only extinguished the Indian title. For a 
good and permanent title, a quit claim deed from the Lords pro- 
prietors, successors of Sir George Carteret, became neeessar}-. This 
does not appear to have been clearly understood at the time, for the 
des Alarests took possession of their lands at once, cleared a tract 
at Old Bridge, built their log houses and barns, and mill-dam and 
mills,! and removed their families in the Spring of 1678, before 
they had any title except that which was conveyed by the Indian 
deed to Sir George Carteret in their behalf. It is certain that a 
mill-dam and at least one mill on the "Western side of the river 
existed in 1681, for in that year the Surveyor General, Robert 
Vauquellen, made a survey for David des Marest, Sr., of sixteen 
acres lying on the 'Western side of the river, the Eastern boundary 
of which is described as the "mill and mill-dam and river." This 
little tract Had been bought, probably near the time of the purchase 
of the large tract East of the Ilackensack, of an Indian Sachem 
named Mumshaw, whose right to dispose of it was afterward (1684) 
disputed by another Indian named Korough. How the matter 
was settled we are not told, but certainly des Marest remained in 
.possession. 

At the same time (1681) Vauquellen surveye<l various tracts of 
land for David des Marest, Sr., and his three sons, and Nicholas 
de Vaux, on the Eastern side of the Ilackensack, extending from 
New Bridge northward considerably beyond Oradell, and East- 
v/ard one hundred chains or one mile and .a quarter. Probably 
this survey was not made earlier because of the unsettled condition 
of the Droviuce. Sir George Carteret died in 1679 and by will 



*Rcport of Prof. Geo. H. Cook, State Geologist, N. J., on sui-vcy of boundary line, 1874. 
fPapers in office of Sec. of State, at Albany. 

JPiles belonging to these mills or to the dam have quite recently been sawed off because 
thev obstructed navigation. 



10 THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKEXSACK. 

directed liis property to be sold for the benefit of bis creditorig,. 
Governor Andros of New York then claimed jurisdiction anJ. 
seized and imprisoned Governor Philip Carteret. In 1681 Gov- 
ernor Andros relinquished his claims and Governor Philip Carteret, 
was restored to his position. In 1682 the Duke of York confirmed^ 
the sale of the province to the twenty-four proprietors. On the 
23d of March, 1682, David des Alarest, Sr., petitioned the Councilj 
for permission to cut timber for the supply of his saw mill, in the:, 
parts of the land he had purchased from the Indians which hadj. 
not yet been patented. The Council denied his request, but at the 
same time ordered that patents should be given for the lands that 
had been surveyed for him and his sons, manifestly referring to the 
surveys made the year before. The Southernmost portion of this 
tract beginning at New Bridge and extending Northward was 
patented to Jean, the eldest son, the Northernmost portion wa& 
patented to David, Jr., the second son. 

A patent was furthermore granted in 1686 to David dc 
Marest, Sr., for a tract of land embracing two thousand and ten 
acres, lying between the lands just named and Ches'che [Tenakill] 
Brook, and bounded on the North by lands of the proprietors, and 
South partly by lands of the propiietors and partlj^ b}^ lands o 
Laurence Van Buskirk. The Western boundary of this tract was' 
not, as i& commonly supposed, the Hackensack River, but a line 
running North and South a little to the AVest of the two Schraal- 
enberg Churches, and which was the Eastern boundary of the 
lands previously patented. Various claims were afterwards made 
to various portions of these lands, which the heirs of David des 
Marest, Sr., were obliged to satisfy. Besides the Berry claim 
already referred to, were those of William Nicolls and James Bol- 
len. All these lands on the Eastern side of the Hackensack River 
were embraced in the Indian purchase, but they bj^ no means 
included all of that purchase. 

In 1686, the same year in which the patent for 2010 acres,. 
East of the Hackensack was granted, David des Marest, Sr., his 
son Jean, Jaques La Rou, Anthony Hendricks, Andries Tiebout, 
John Du Rij (Durie), Daniel Ribou (Rivers), Albert Saborisco,, 
David Ackerman, Albert Stevense (Voorhees), patented lands on the 
Western side of the river, extending from the vicinity of New 
Bridge Northward to Kinclerkamack in the neighborhood of the 
school house, and Westward two miles to Winocksack (Sprout), 
Brook and below its mouth to the Saddle River. 

The first house in which David des Marest resided after his- 
removal to New Jersey was on the East side of the Hackensack 
and doubtless very near to his mills at the Old Bridge. He lived 
on that side of the river until 1686 at least. In that year, the land 
on the West side adjacent to the mill was patented to him, and the- 
probability is that he at once began to build a house lor himself on, 
the rising ground a few rods from the river. He must have 
removed into it before 1689, for in that year he made his will iiT> 
which he is described as belonging to Essex County. At that time- 



) 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE IIACKENSACK. 11 



!the Ilackensack Eiver was the dividino; line between Bergen and 
lEssex Counties, His death took place 'in Essex County in 1693. 
[ The subject of the Ecclesiastical relations and history of these 
people is an exeeedinglj^ interesting one. They were a religious peo- 
ple, adherents of the Oalvinistic faith and ritual and of the Genevan 
-Presbyterial form of Government. They believed in tlie visible 
•church, and a deprivation of the ordinances of public worship was 
xHvith them a very serious matter. We have seen tliat David des 

SMarest was at the time of his marriage in fellowship witli the 
Walloon Church of Middleburg, that he was afterwards active in 
he formation of a Church of French Eefugecs at Mannheim, where 
le was associated with Nicholas De Veaux and others who subse- 
jquently came to America, that he connectef' himself with the 
Huguenot Church on Staten Island in 1663, a I afterwards when 
he had become a resident of Harlem, with the Dutch Church of 
pSTew York, though attending French services when they were 
introduced, in preference to the Dutch. The names of the various 
members of his family are found on the Baptismal and Marriage 
jRecords, and on the Register of Communicants of the ancient Col- 
^legiate Dutch Church of New York City. And so we are not 
'Surprised to learn tliat when the family had removed to New Jer- 
'Jeey, one of their first concerns was to find if possible an ecclesias- 
tical home. But there was no church in the whole province nearer 
to them than the Dutch Church ot New York, to which they 
'i Iready belonged^ This was nearly twenty miles distant, and the 
/ludson River was between them and the house of God, and that 
'/•iver was a serious barrier, for there was no steam ferry-boat to 
/carry them over, nor had the horse-boat as yet appeared. No 
church had as yet been formed at Hackensack nor to the North, 
fit Tappan. At Newark, which was about as far from them as 
New York, the settlers from New England had the Kev. Abram 
Pierson for their preacher and conductor of worship according to 
the Presbyterian order, but as he used the English language he was 
'not competent to edify these Hollandized Frenchmen. Either 
French or Dutch would have answered, but not English by any 
means. 

About the same distance from them as the church of New 
York, but without the Hudson river intervening, was that of Ber- 
, gen, the first Dutch Church established in the province of New 
Uersey, and at that time the only one. This church had been 
organized at least as early as 1664, for its registers of baptisms, 
marriages, admissions of members, and burials have been kept 
from that date to the present with little interruption. The first 
house of Avorship was built in 1680, and was an octagonal stone 
building situated in the old grave yard W6st of Bergen avepue, 
and South of Vroom street. "But eighteen years before that time, 
,)in December, 1662, the Schout and Schepens of the vUlage had 
petitioned the Governor-General and Council of New Netherland 
for a minister, and in connection Avith their petition they gave the 
names of tv,-enty-five persons who had subscribed for his support 



\ i 

12 THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. ■ ,} 

the sum of four hundred and seventeen guilders in seawant, Fo 
some reason a minister was not settled among them for the lonl 
period of ninetj-one 3'ears, when, in 1753, Rev. William Jackso'sv.. 
was ordained tJie lirst pastor. U- 

During the eighteen years that preceded the erection of t^ij. 
first church buihiing the peo"]:)le w(_)rs]iipped in a log school-hou£(|;r 
which was on the site of the present school house fronting tl^;? 
,sqaare. This was the gathering place for worship for all the peopj^- 
in that region at the time that our Huguenots settled on the nacl:,_ 
ensack. The church during its entire pastorless period was &\i]^ 
plied at first occasionally by ministers from iSTew York and oth^ 
parts, but quite early a regular arrangement was made with ih^ 
ministers of ISle^x York to go over at stated times to conduct th^ 
worship, preach and administer the Sacraments, and for these seij. 
vices they vv'ere paid by the Bergen Church. Kev. Gualterii 
DuBois wc'it over tliree times a year for fifty-one years to perforr^ 
these services. Sometimes a week day was taken for them instea 
of the Sabbath.* 5, 

Very promptly after their removal into New Jersey the sevej 
^dult members of the des Marest family and also Jacques La Rol 
on the 7th day of October, 1678, united by certificate with thj 
pastorless Bergen Church worshipping in the log building. I)on| 
Wm. Nieuenhuj^sen, of New York, presided in the meeting 
Consistory at the time, and received their certificates of churc, 
membership, two of which, those of Jacques La Ron, and Samu^ 
des Marest, no doubt came from the French Church in N^ 
York.f I 

I would that I were able to crive an authejitic account of thi 
church life and church-going habits of these people during tneii 
connection with the church of Bergen. Doubtless they were all i: 
attendance on every Communion Bay, whether it v^^-ere the Lord' 
day or Monday. They would make all their preparations on Sal 
urday, so that they might start early in the morning, tor the die 
tance was nearly twenty miles, and the roads were not macadf 
mized, and the wagons were springless, and the farm horses no 
very fleet. Besides, it w^as desirable to have, after so long a joui 
ney, a half-hour's rest before service for the good of body, mim 
and soul. The proximity of the inn to the church customary ii 
those days, was not an unmingled evil. Perhaps, after the servi 
ces some Van Horn or Van Winkle, or Van Riper, or Van Wage 
nen or Vreeland, would insist on taking the company home wit^ 
him to dinner, for nothing pleased the Dutchman of that day s 
well as to have his table crowded on a Sunday by people wdiom h 
respected. Sometimes very little of the daj^, especially in th 
Winter, would be left after the close of public worship, for th 
Communion service occupied hours, and then they woulcl tarry tif 
morning, and on the Monday wend their w^ay homeward. Thej 

♦Winfield's History of Hudson County, page 378. 

tTheir names are on the record of the Dutch Church of New York, with the note " overge^ 
3chreeven aen de Franschekke," meaninsr transferred to the French Church. 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 13 

were not so clriven and hurried in their worldly business as men 
now are. Perhaps, they often brought their lunch with them, and 
having been refreshed by it, started on their tedious journey for 
home, which they would not reach until after nightfall. We may 
well believe, too, that the forests through which they passed in 
going to and returning from the house of God were made to ring 
with the Psalms of Marot and Beza. 

Are we to suppose that they made this long journey every 
Lord's day for the purjtose of hearing the Voorleser read the 
Decalogue, and Creed, and a chapter from the Bible and the ]:)rayers 
in the Liturgy, and a sermon from the pen of gome famous IIol- 
land divine, and to join in the singing of the Psalms in Dutch?' 
Sj It pleases me to think that they did not do this habituallj^ but that 
the Senior David was like a patriarch of old, priest in his own 
household, and that on the Lord's day morning he was wont to call 
together his children and grand-children and neighbors into his 
own house, and opening his precious French Bible to read from it 
in the tongue his mother had taught him at Beauchamp. Then 
announcing a Psalm from Marot and Beza's version, the men, 
women and children would unite in its singing with uplifted voices 
and with all their powers. And then the Creed and prayers would 
be read from the Liturgy of the French Protestant Church, and 
perhaps also an instructive and edifying selection trom the writings 
of some Huguenot pastor, who had, with his life in his hand, min- 
istered to some distressed fLock of Christ. JMor was the Catechism 
forgotten or slighted, but its questions w^oukl be duly propounded 
and answered. What emotions must such simple services have 
awakened in the breasts of the Elders, and what a powerful and 
healthful influence must they have exerted on the young people and 
children ! I say again, I would that I knew how it was with them, 
in those times, for my picture is a purely fancy sketch. 

Their connection with the church of Bergen continued about 
four 3^ears, during which they must have helped the Bergen people 
in building their first church. The last entry of a baptism is dated 
April 18th, 1682. But during those four years several other entries 
were made, one of the marriage of Samuel, the youngest son, and 
Maria Dreuyn, sister of the wife of Jean, the eldest son, and also of 
the baptisms of two children of Jean, and two of David, Jr. Also, 
over against the names of Marie Sohier, wife of David, Sr., and 
Jacomyntie Dreuyn, wife of Jean, is the word Overleden, or died, 
showing that their deaths occurred during that period. And then 
over against the name of David, Sr., is written the word Vertroeken, 
or removed. 

What did that entry mean ? 'Not that he had changed his 
place of residence, for he never did that after he had fixed it in 
New Jersey. It meant that he had left, or withdrawn from that 
particular church. And what did that mean in his case ? Could 
it mean that he had turned back into the world, and away from the 
visible church altogether? ISTo one knowing his character and his- 
tory could suppose that for a moment. It could only mean that he 



/ 



\ 



\ 



14 THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 

bad left the Church of Bergen in order to become connected with 
some other. The word Vertrocken was doubtless placed by bis 
name only, because he was the patriarch and representative of the 
company, and it was not worth while to repeat that word on the 
record. 

But the question arises, what now Ecclesiastical connection 
could these Huguenots form in New Jersey ? That the}^ did not 
go back to the Dutch Church in ISTew York is conclusively shown 
by the records of that church, on which their names do not reap- 
pear, nor did they unite with the French Church of that City. It 
was true in 1682, as it was in 1678, that there was no church in the 
entire province to which they could go and hear a language famil- 
iar to them, except the Dutch Church of Bergen. We can come 
to only one conclusion, and that is, that they withdrew from the 
Church of Bergen, to establish an Ecclesiastical home for them- 
selves on their own property on the banks of the Hackensack, in 
which the French language should be used in the services which 
were to be conducted in accordance with the ritual of the French 
Reformed churches. This is confirmed by the concurrent testi- 
raony of many facts and circumstances. 

It is true, and we must start with the candid admission, that 
w^e have no document whatever giving an account of the formation 
of this church, no book of minutes, no register complete or par- 
tial of baptisms, marriages, or admissions to the Lord's Supper. 
There is a period of fourteen years from 1682 to 1696, during 
which the Ecclesiastical history of these intensely church-loving 
people is a perfect blank so far as church records known to us are 
concerned. 8ome names of persons on the Bergen record, Avho 
were living in 1682, and wdio then removed, it is not said whither, 
re-appear in 1696 on the record of the Dutch Church of Hacken- 
sack, which had been formed in 1686. 

JNow what shall we, in the absence of church records say about 
their Ecclesiastical history during these fourteen years? There 
were, during these j'ears. some marriages among the young people; 
four at least we are certain of among the cles Marests alone, and 
births of at least fourteen children of the same name, and we may 
be sure that every one of these marriages was solemnized by a 
Christian minister, and that every child born was baptized. Now% 
w^ho performed these marriage ceremonies, and who administered 
these baptisms, and where were they recorded? Not a church 
record in New York or New Jersey, containing them, can be 
found. Can we doubt that a French Huguenot minister performed 
these ceremonies right there on the banks of the Hackensack ? 

It is not supposed by any one that this little church ever had a 
pastor of its own, but that it was occasionally visited by the French 
ministers from New York, and especially by the Rev. Pierre Daille, 
whose special mission seems to have been to look after the various 
French settlements in the province, for the promotion of their 
spiritual welfare. It is a very significant fact that the withdrawal 
of the Huguenots from the Church of Bergen took place prob.;'bly 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE IIACKENSACK. 15 

nn the same year in which Daille came to minister to tlie French in 
New York City, and in which he began to search out, and to care 
for the scattered flocks of his countrymen and co-religionists. 
What is more likely than that these Huguenots on the Hackensack 
■should have aslced for, and received a share of these ministrations? 
An interesting fact connects Mr. Daille with these people. Some 
days after the death of David des Marest, Sr., wliich occurred in 
the Summer of 1693, the two surviving sons, Jean and Samuel, 
and John Durie, who had married the widow of David, Jr., came 
together to examine his papers, and to make distribution of the 
properl}' in accordance with the terms of the will. They came 
" lovingl}' and kindly " to an agreement which was put in Avriting, 
and the name of the only subscribing witness was that of P. 
Daille. As the beloved friend and pastor of their father, and 
theirs also, he had been invited to be with them on this occasion. 
He was doubtless on familiar ground, and in a house whose hospi- 
tality he had often enjoyed in his visits to the little flock on the 
Hackensack, who revered him as their spiritual father and guide. 

It is moreover quite certain that they had a house of worship 
close by the cemetery to which we have rei'errcd. Those who in 
former years had charge of this cemetery haveaflirmed that in dig- 
ging graves they have come to stones which had evidently belonged 
to the foundations of a building. JSTow what building could have 
been standing there in the midst of the graves but a house of wor- 
ship ? Tradition also says that they had a French school, a 
parochial school for the children, in accordance with the usage of 
.the times. 

That a building for public worship should have been provided 
as soon as the occasional visits of a preacher could be had, is cer- 
tainly not a strange thing. It was almost necessar^', certainly 
desirable, so that his visits might be made more frequently than 
they would be if the services w^ere held in a private house. And 
■since it was contemplated to obtain a number of families from 
France to occupy the lands bought from the Indians, it was impor- 
tant to be able to offer them the powerful inducement of a house of 
;God prepared to receive them, and in which worship was per- 
formed in their own tongue. 

The absence of church records is to be deeply regretted, but it 
is not surprising. What is more easilj^ lost than are documents of 
this sort, and especially such as pertained to a church which never 
had a settled pastor, and which existed only fourteen years ? Per- 
haps no record book w^as ever opened, and the visiting ministers 
made on loose paper, memoranda of the ofiicial acts performed by 
.them. Who can tell what may yet come to light some day in the 
w^ay of memoranda made by Daille or Peiret ? When the church 
was Anally disbanded and they wdio were members at the time 
joined the Dutch Church at Hackensack, all official papers should 
properly have been deposited with the Consistory of the latter 
church. But, it may not have been done, at any rate, no such pa- 
pers are in possession of that body at the present time. 



16 THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 

Strong!}' as all these considerations point to tlie conclus^ 
that these'llnguenots had an organized church and a house' oi 
worship on the Hackensack, there are facts still to be stated which 
put the matter beyond all question. 

This French Church was established, if at all, about the year 
1682 and when as yet, as we have seen, there was no church in the 
whole region nearer than the one at Bergen. But just four years 
after this, in 1686, a Dutch Church was formed at Hackensack only 
three miles distant.* ISTow if these Huguenots had not had a 
church of their own and services in their own language, would they 
not at once have joined this new church which was placed by their 
door ? For four vcars they had been accustomed to ride nearly 
twenty miles to attend a Dutch service. Why then did they not 
connect themselves with this Hackensack Dutch Church, planted 
close by them, and to which their neighbors belonged ? Because, 
we doubt not, they had provided themselves with a church edifice, 
and services in their own tongue winch they preferred, and prob- 
ably they had a preacher quite as frequently as the Dutch who had 
no church edifice, and who were visited at long intervals by the 
ministers of the word. The records of the Hilckensack Church 
show that for ten years, from 1686 to 1696, only one person bear- 
ing a Huguenot name, Abram DeVouw, had united with it. Doubt- 
less the French were accustomed during all those years to meet on 
every Lord's Day in their own house of worship, and when a min- 
ister was present, it was a day of gladness indeed. 

But the breaking up and end of this little congregation were 
at hand. It was obliged to yield to the stern logic of circumstances. 
The end came in 1696. The patriarch of the colony had died in 
1693. His second son, David, Jr., had died before that time. The 
colony was not increased by accessions of French families, for such 
accessions were balanced by removals. Rev. Mr. Daille removed 
in 1696 to Boston. The Dutch people were coming in rapidly and 
occupying land on every side. Their young men married the 
Huguenot maidens, and their young women the Huguenot young 
men. All the young people married, and married early. The 
Dutch element greatly predominated and the French preachers 
could not fiiil to see what must soon take place, and must have felt 
little encouragement to continue their visits which had been so 
welcome and precious. Cheerfully, no doubt, did they advise them 
to cast in their lot with a church so like their own in doctrine, order 
and ritual, and whose language was not strange to them, but in 
which tljey had often worshipped in Kew York and Bergen. 

The brave little church was obliged to succumb, and it was 
swept hy the irresistible tide of circumstances into the Dutch 
Church of Hackensack. The organization perished, but the mem- 
bers joined themselves and became elements of strength to the 
church then newly-formed, but which has been a noble witness for 
God through the succeeding generations for 200 years. They 

*For an account of the orf!:anization and history of this church and a record of its members 
from the first, see Historical Discourse bj' Eev. Theodore B. Romeyu, D.D., New York, 1870. 



^ 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 17 

joined themselves to tlicse Dutch people, not after they had erected 
and paid for their church building, thit thus without iost to tW 
selves they might enjoy the fruit of the work and self-denial of 
their neighbors, ^o, they cast in their lot with them just when 
they were arising to build, so that they might have the privilec^e of 
sharing in the work and the sacrifice. In the walls of tl it^'firJ 
church building of Hackensack were placed l^wn ston s in 
which were cut the initials of a number of those wlio were mo'mi 
nent inthe work These stones have been carefully preseiwelZd 
placed in the walls of every church building subse^qLntly erected 

^7aM of Z^^hTT ^l\''r' ',? seen^to-day In the'EasSn 
yA ot the "Cliurch on the Green." On one of these stones is 
engraven the out ine oi a heart, enclosing the letters D. M K fDes 
Ma Eest) and the date 1696, on another J. D. li. (Jati J3u' Rii) 
Another has an inscription which, by a little aid of the iraao-ina: 
tion,_may be pronounced the initials of Jacques La Rou * These 
inscriptions show how fully these French families had "identified 
themselves at that time with the Dutch Church, and their reco-- 
nition at once as important members of it. "^ 

^I'f^l^ establish our position in regard to the existence of a 
French Church beyond al doubt, we turn to the record of commu^ 
mcants of he Church of Ilackensack, which has been careuJlly 
kept from the time of its organization in 1686. We find on it the 
101 J owing entries : 

gekoSn. dLenavotle^Vr''"'"''^'^'"™'" ''' ^'•''-''<='- «« "= '»' -» over- 
Jacques Larou. 

David des Marest, soou van Jan, met ziin vrouw 
Antie Slot. 

Mny.?Fiv?^''°^''T^ ^''' Winckel], huysvronw van Jan De Marest. 
Sr!7 ?® ^^^^ee, luiysvrouw van Jacobus Slot. / 

ovcrlekomden :^ ^""''^ "'''' "'"' ^"'^^tatie van de Franscheke tot dese ghcmeente 
Jan de Marest. 

Jan DuRij met zijn huysvrouw Rachel Cresson. 
David des Marest lllius David, ook van vreduwe Junior. 
Jacob De Groot met zijn liuysvrouw 
Margrietie Jans.f 

In these two detacliments eleven members came by certificate 
from the French Church to the Dutch in 1696. These, doubtless 
comprised the entire membership at the time. Indeed the peculS 
phi^ology^of the record indicates that there was a coming over of 

*For cuts of these inscriptions see Romevn's discourse 

has c'o^r ove.'irs;7£'^i?;illS'ng: ^ ''''' '' '^"'^^^^^^^ ^-^ ^^'^ ^^--'^ Clnuxh which 

Jacques La Eou. 

David des Alarest, son of John, with his wife 

Antie Slot. 

Man-itiie (Jacobse) Van Winckcll, wife of John De ^Ju-pst 

Mary de Maree, wife of Jacobus Slot. ' "' • 

to us^"" '''' ^^'^ °^ '^''^^'' ^^^^' ''^ ^'^^•tiS^^te from the French Church which has come over 

John De Marest. 

John DuEij (Durie) with his wife Eachel Cresson. 

David des^Marest, son of David, also of the widow of Junior. 

Jacob DeGroot with his wife 

Marg-rietie Jans. 



18 THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 

the whole church. Henceforth for a little while the French Bible 
was read and the French Psalms were sung in a few families chiefly 
by the old people. French speedily became a strange tongue to 
the rising generations. 

Did'this French Church have a distinctive name or title? We 
doubt not that it was known in the neighborhood as the French 
Church simply, for there was no other. It was so designated, we 
have seen on the record of the Dutch Church of Hackensack. Mr. 
Riker speaks of it several times as the Church of Kinkachemeck. 
The authority for this is found in an entry on the marriage record 
of the church of Bergen. The marriage of Daniel Du Voor and 
Engeltie Cornelis was recorded at Bergen, February 28,1692-3, and 
it is noted that they had come with testimonials from the French 
Church at Kinkachemeck, in the County of Bergen. But Kinkach- 
emeck, or Kinderkamack, as the documents of the time usually 
have it, was then as now the name of the tract lying on the West 
side of the Hackensack Kiver, and extending two or three miles 
Northward from Old Bridge. Du Voor went to Bergen from his 
home at Kinderkamack, and he belonged to the French Church. 
It was natural that the name of the neighborhood should on the 
record be joined to the churcli. It is certain that the church build- 
ing was on the Eastern side of the river and that Kinderkamack 
was then as now on the Western side. 

Perhaps, in my opening remarks, I spoke too disparagingly of 
my theme, as being of family rather than general interest. Per- 
haps the influence of this little colony was far more extensive and 
permanent than would be thought from a hasty glance at its short 
history. 

Our historians tell us that Northern I^Tew Jersey was settled 
chiefly by the Dutch, and they know nothing of a Huguenot ele- 
ment as a factor of any importance in the population of that part of 
the State. But suppose that you were to-day to remove from the 
Northern part of Bergen County, from Passaic County, from parts 
of Essex, from Rockland and Orange Counties, New York, all Avho 
bear the names of the original Huguenot settlers on the Hacken- 
sack, and of those who soon after located in their neighborhood as 
Terheuns, Loziers, DeMotts, Debauns, Ferdons, etc., you would 
vacate a very large proportion of the houses and farms in that 
extensive district. And if, in addition you were to remove all, 
who though bearing Dutch names, have quite as much of French 
as of Dutch blood in their veins, you would create a wilderness 
almost Avithout inhabitants, for you would carry away the Voor- 
heeses, Bantas, Brinkerhofis, Blauvelts, Van Wagenens, Bogerts, 
Van Buskirks, Ackermans, Hoppers, about all of them. 

This little colony was a permanent one. The French language 
passed away and the French Church was absorbed by the Dutch. 
The plans of David des Marest in regard to the enlargement of the 
colony failed, but he and his three sons came to stay, and they 
planned for homes for their children and children's children. Their 
work was never destroyed, nor were their plans interfered with by 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE IIACKENSACK. 19 

hostile savages. Thej held what they had obtained at the begin- 
ning and constantly added to their possessions. The three brothers, 
Jean, David and Samuel, had an aggregate of thirty-four children, 
thirty ot whom, twelve sons and eighteen daughters, married and 
became fathers and mothers of fiimilies which were for the most 
part entitled to the Old Testament benediction. The two thousand 
acres of the patent of 1686, as well as the lands previously secured, 
were speedily occupied, and to these were added tract after tract to 
the North and West, extending into Rockland and Orange Coun- 
ties, New York, and what is now Passaic in New Jersey. Before 
the Revolutionary War some of the family emigrated to Adams 
County, Pennsylvania, joining the Oonewago settlement near 
Gettysburg. One of these emigrants, Samuel, moved thence to 
Harrod's Station, Kentiicky, and a considerable number of his 
descendants are to be found in that State. Some went from Oone- 
wago to Western New York, where many of their descendants 
still have their homes. One, Guillaume, who was a Loyalist, went 
to Canada after the Revolutionary War, and on lands granted him 
by the Crown, founded the town of Demorestville, on the Bay of 
Quinte, Prince Edwards District. 

The first movement from the original home at Old Bridge was 
of course Eastward toward the Hudson, and so lands were cleared 
and farms occupied at Schraalenberg, Tenaily and Closter, and 
Northward toward Tappan, and as early as 1724 it w^as found 
necessary to establish a church at Schraalenberg for the convenience 
of the people of that neighborhood who had been accustomed to 
vvorship at Ilackensack. The names of the original members of 
this church were to a large extent Huguenot names, and the same 
thing is true of the second church which was established there in 
1756. And if you were to examine the records of those tw^o 
churches from tlie dates of their organization down to the present 
day, ,you would iind in every generation, including the present, a 
very large proportion of Huguenot names among the baptized, the 
married and the communicants. And the same is to a great extent 
true of all the churches in that region. 

The religious, moral and social influence of this Huguenot ele- 
ment cannot well be estimated. The descendants of these pioneers, 
numbering not a lew thousands, have as a body been zealous sup- 
porters of the church, pure and temperate in their lives, of integrity 
unimpeached and honor untarnished, true in all their worldly rela- 
tions, and patterns of the virtues that adorn the ordinar}^ walks of 
life, and in a word, good members of the Commonwealth. ]t has 
often been remarked by strangers visiting the part of the country 
occupied by them, that it would be difficult to find a district of the 
same extent exhibiting more decided proofs, of thrift, of general 
comfort and of contentment, and in which poverty seemed to be 
unknown. 

Surely the province of New Jersey was not damaged by the 
entrance aiid settlement within her borders of the Huguenots of 

THE HaCKENSACK. 



APPENDIX. 



I 

Clironological Table. 

1G20. David dcs Marest (son of Jean), born at Beaucliamp, in Picardy, about tliis 

year. 
1G43. David des Marest and Marie Soliier, were married at Middlcburg, Zeeland, 

(French Clmrcli). 
1G45. Jean, son of David, born at Middleburg. 
1G5 J. David, son of David, born at Mannlieim. 
1656. Bamuel, son of David, born at Mannlieim. 
16G3. David des Mai-est, wife and four children, arrived at New Amsterdam, in tlie 

Bontelioe, and settled on Staten Island. 
16G5. The family removed to !N"ew Harlem. 

1677. June 8th. Tappan Indians convey lands on the Ilackensack to David des 

Marest. 

1678. The des Marest families remove to their lands in New Jersey, and unite with 

7. the Dutch Church of Bergen. In the same year probably, sixteen acres 
lying west of the Hackensack, were purchased from the Indians. 

1679. Sir George Carteret died. His property was to be sold for the benefit of his 

creditors. 

1680. Gov. Andros, of New Yoi-lv, claimed jurisdiction over New Jersey, and 

seized and imprisoned Gov. Philip Carteret. 

16S1. Gov. P. Carteret restored ; surveys of lands made for David des Marest, of 16 
acres W. of Ilackensack river, and of various tracts on the Eastern side 
for himself, his sons and Nicholas De Veaux. 

1082. March 14th. The Duke of York confirms the sale of the Province to the 24 
Proprietors. Probably in this year the Ilackensack Huguenots with- 
drew from the Dutch Church of Bergen, and built a church for them- 
selves, and held services in French, enjoying occasionally the visits of 
Huguenot preachers from New York City. 

1G8G. The lauds on the "West of the Hackensack from New Bridge to Kinderka- 
mack, surveyed for various parties. Also on the East of the River, 2010 
acres patented to David des Marest, Sr., extending eastward to the 
Tenakill. 

1689. David des Marest, Sr., makes his Will, in which he declares himself of the 
County of Essex, showing that he must have removed across the river 
after the year 1686, for the deed given him that year represents him as a 
citizen of Bergen County. 

1693. David des Marest, Sr., died. Oct. 16th the heirs made a division of the 
property. 

1696. The members of the French Church joined the Dutch Church of Hacken- 
sack. In this year the Dutch congregation built its house of worship. 



THE HUGUENOTS ON THE HACKENSACK. 21 

1704. The petition of the sons of David, Sr., to Lord Cornbmy, for a survey of 

lands. Capt. Jolm Berry's remonstrance and claim. 
1719. Jean des Marest died. 

1724. A Dutch Church organized at Schraalcubcrg. 
1728. Samuel des Marest died. 
175G. Second Cliurch of Schraalenberg (North) formed. 



11 

The First Throe Generations of tlie des Marest 
Family in tliis Country. 

FIRST GENERATION. 

David, son of Jean des Marest, was horn at Beauchamp, in Picardy, about 

the year 1620. 
Marie, daughter of Francois Sohier, was born in Nieppc, a town of Ilainault. 

They were married at Middleburg, on tlie island of Zeeland, July 21th, 

1643. Their children were : 

SECOND GENERATION. 

1. Jean, l)aptized at Middleburg, in the French Church, April 14th, 1645. lie 
married, 1st, Jacomina, a daugliter of Simon Drcuns, Sept. 9, 1668. 2d. 
Marritje Van Winckell, widow of Peter Slot, March 23d, 1603. 3d. Mao;- 
dalen Laurens, widow of Jean Tullier, December 20th, 1703. He died 
in 1719. 

3. David, baptized at Middleburg, in the French Church, June 23, 1G49. lie 
died in infancy. 

3. David, born at Miumheim, in the Palatinate, in 1653. lie married Rachel 

Cresson, daughter of Pierre Cresson, April 4th, lG7o. lie died about 
1691. 

4. Samuel, born at Mannheim, in 165), married Maria, daughter of Simon 

Dreuns, August 11th, 1678. He died in 1723. ^ 

5. , a child is supposed to have been born at Mannheim, in 1602, and 

. to have died in infancy, after the family had arrived in America. 
G. Daniel, born at Harlem, baptized in New York, July 7th, 16GG, died January 
8, 1673. 

THIRD GENERATION. 
CMldrsn of Jean des Marest and Jacomina Dreuns (de Rtiine). 
1. David, baptized m New York, Aug. 18, 1669, married Antie, daughter of ,Jan 
Slot, died before 1703. llis widow married Jonathan Hart, of Southold, 
L. L. Sept. 7, 1706. 

3. John, baptized in New York, June 18, 1671, married Debora . He 

removed to Apoughquiminy, Chester Co. , Pa. 

3. Mary, married, 1. Ely. 2. Jacobus Slot, eldest son of Peter Slot. 

4. Sarah, baptized in New York, Oct. 12, 1675, married Abram Canon. 

5. Simon, baptized in New York, Nov. 22, 1677. He probably died in infancy. 

6. Rachel, mar. Thomas Hyer of Apoughquiminy, May 9, 1703. 

7. Jacomina, bap. N. York, April 21, 1680, mar. John Stewart of Stirling, Scot 

land, March 39, 1700. Removed to Chester Co., Pa. 



'2'2 THE HUGUENOTS OjST 'fHE HAClCENSACK. 

8. Lea, bap. at Bergen, N. J., April 18, 1683, mar. Abram Brower, eldest son 

of Peter Brower, March 29tli, 1700. 

9. Magdalena, mar. James Christie of Iverden, [Aberdeen?] Scotland, Sept. 

° 8tli, 1703. 

10. Samuel, bap. at N. York, Nov. 13, 1687. Probably died in infancy. 

11. Peter, mar., 1, Marritye Meet, May 14th, 1709. 

2, Maria Batton, Oct. 15, 1731. 
lie had seventeen children. iV)'' . 

Children of David des Slare^Jr., and Rachel Cresson. 

1. David, bap. N. York, Feb. 19, 1666; mar. Sara, daughter of Rev. Guillaume 

Bertholf, April 24, 1697. He died in 1768. 

2. Peter, bap. N. York, April 21, 1677. Probably died in infancy. 

L3. Susanna, bap. at Bergen, April 7, 1679 ; mar., 1, Peter Lubbertse Westervelt, 
April 23, 1704 ; 2, William Teller. 

4. Rachel, bap. at Bergen, June 4th, 1680, mai'. xindries Janse Van Norden, Aug. 

31, 1700. She died before 1710. 

5. Jacobus, bap. atFlatbush, L. I., Oct. 30, 1681; mar., 1, Lea, daughter of Peter 

De Groot, March S, 1707 ; 2, Margrietie Cozine Herring, Sept. 26, 1719- 

6. Samuel, mar. Sitsche Siberse Banta, April 21, 1705. 

7. Mary, mar. Wiert Banta, April 27, 1706. 

8. Daniel, born in 1685 ; mar. Rebecca, daugliter of Peter' De Groot, Aug. 3, 

1707. 

9. Benjamin, mar. Elizabeth, daughter of Peter De Groot, Nov. 7th, 1713. 

10. Jacomina, mar. Andries Louwrens Van Boskerk, Nov. 7, 1713. 

11. Lea, mar. Rynier Van Houten, Jan. 26th, 1718. 

12. Lydia, mar. Stephen Albertse Terheun, Oct. 18th, 1707. 

Children of Samuel des T,Iarest and Maria Dreuns (De Suine). 
1. Magdalena, bap. N. York, April 21, 1680, mar. Cornelius Epkc Banta, Nov. 1, 
1699. She died before 1719. 

3. David, bap. at Bergen Oct. 3d, 1681, mar. jMatie de Baunc, daughter of Joost 

de Baune, Nov. 10, 1705. 

3. Samuel, mar. Annatie Van Hoorn, Aug. 1, 1713." 

4. Peter, mar. Margrietie Conielise Herring, Sept. 14, 1717. 

5. Jacomina, mar., 1, Samuel Helling (Helm), Nov. 10, 1705; 3, Cornelius Van 

Hoorn, Jr., July 19, 1710. 

6. Judith, mar., 1, Christian de Baune, Jan. 29, 1709; 2, Peter Da Rij (Durie), 

July 21, 1711. 

7. Sarah, bap. at Hackensack, March 7th, 1697, mar. John Westervelt in 1718. 

8. Simon, bap. Hackensack, May 31, 1699, mar. Vrouwtie Cornelise Herring, 

Dec. 1, 1721. 

9. Rachel, bap. Hackensack, Jan. 13, 1701, mar. Jacobus Peck, Oct. 14th, 1726. 

10. Susanna, bap. Hackensack, April 18, 1703, mar. Benjamin A^an Boskerk, March 

21, 1725. 

11. Daniel, bap. Hackensack, March 35, 1706. 



iiMiS,?,!'^ °^ CONGRESS 

Sii 

014 207 891 # 



